The Raven Pirate
by Blue Moon 2010
Summary: Continuing Rae's adventure on the high seas, she and Rich discover one of his horrible secrets that may just be the end to their relationship. What happens next, nobody but me knows. Disclaimer: don't own the titans.
1. The Beginning

"Oh, I know who ye' are," said The man with bright orange hair. He looked up at Raven with wary eyes. "And yer not getting on this here ship. If I was in my right mind, I'd turn yer sorry rear inta The king's guard. But me being as soft as I am, I'll take pity on yer blind self and let ye go." Raven sighed and gave him a look pleading look, her violet eyes were disappointed. She had The appearance of someone who could see, but she was as blind as a bat.

"Why?" she demanded. "I can sail. And I've brought only good luck to those ships who were kind enough to take me on. Even if all I can do is be a powder monkey." A powder monkey could only run back and forth to The powder stored with bags and bring The cannon firerers more powder.

"No," said The recruiter firmly. "The captain would have me doing The hempen jig and ye along side me. Now be gone with ye."

Raven cursed under her breath and turned around. She wore black breeches and a deep violet shirt. He lilac hair was tucked up under a bandanna with a few stray strands framing her pale face. She had a leather bag slung over her shoulder and was attempting to get signed on as a member of one of The sea-going ships. So far, she'd had no luck and it was almost dark. There was only one option left.

"Please Goddess," she prayed. "Let Them take me on this one. I'll do anything." She walked up to The recruiter and glanced down at him. She could hear The small monkey on his shoulder. "You got room for one more?" she asked.

He laughed outright. "For a girl? A blind girl at that?" She glared at him and he shut up. How did he know she was blind? "I don't know how much Dickie would like that."

"Dickie?" she questioned with a raised brow.

"Captain Richard Grayson. Finest and most well known captain in all The sea. Seas." It sounded to her like he was making it up as he went along. "Cap'n!" he called.

Raven heard boots walking down a gangplank. "Aye, Garret?"

"She wants to come aboard, sir," he informed his captain. "Should I let her?"

"She?" Garret pointed to Raven who was watching The captain intently. He took one look at her and shook his head. "No. Don't you know it's bad luck to have a girl on board?"

"But-" Garret began.

"Are you refusing my orders?"

Garret hung his green head and muttered, "No sir." Richard stalked away. Garret looked back up at Raven who gave him a soft smile. "I'm sorry. I tried."

She couldn't help but ruffle The younger boy's hair. "No worries mate. I'll just go back to being a lowly tavern wench and tend The bar like I'm supposed to." She turned to go."

"Wait!" Garret walked out from behind The table. "Where are you working?"

"The Rum Barrel just up The road. Why?"

"Meet me There before dawn tomorrow morning and I'll get you on this ship." She gave him a look. "Haven't you ever stowed away before?"

"No, and I don't plan to. I'm an honest p-" She caught herself. "Sailor," Raven finished with a silent curse to herself.

"Come on," he begged. "It'll be fun. Once we get far enough out to sea, I'll get you out of The cargo hold and bring you out on deck. He won't throw you over."

Raven thought for a minute. "Fine. Before dawn at The Rum Barrel." She held out her hand and he shook it. "Until Then my friend." With that, she turned and went up to her little room in an inn for another sleepless night.


	2. Welcome Aboard

A/N; Sorry about all the grammar and spelling errors in the last chapter. It's the bloody editing system on my stupid computer. Well, I'm going to be a hippocrit and say this is my first posted fanfic. It drives me crazy when people put that in their summaries. It just make me want to stick my head in a rain barrel and drown myself. Anyway, on with the story.

It was almost dawn the next morning and she was sitting on the roof, waiting for Garret to come down the road, when she heard a loud _CRACK!_ She could tell that it came from the ship docks. She grabbed her bag and ran down as fast as she could go. She pulled a lightweight cutlass out of her bag and strapped it on her waist.

She reached the dock and a hand on her arm stopped her. She could feel the rough wool of the queen's Royal Navy uniform and knew that they were attacking the ship. The ship she was supposed to board. Raven drew her blade and stabbed him. More were getting ready to board the gangplank. With a yell, she threw herself into the mob and slashed at anyone and everyone in her way up the plank. She got aboard and felt the vibrations of feet pounding everywhere. She heard Garret growl and turned her attention to him. Garret was being rushed by several men. She lept in to fight at his back. "How in the hell are you fighting?" he growled as her ran one man through and punched another.

"Instincts dear," she said with grim humor. She felt two guys rushing a single one and strode over.

"Get back!" Richard shouted. He was trapped by the stairs and another was behind him, blade raised. She hit the guy behind him at the base of the neck with the hilt of her sword, killing him. The violet eyed beauty kicked another in the groin and punched the other in the nose.

She ran off to finish the fight. Raven heard Richard shouted orders as they finished the rest of the officers off. Soon, she felt the boat rocking over the waves. She noticed that nobody was fighting. She felt everyone staring at her. A friend had once told her, "When all eyes are on you, wink." And she did. The men hooted and cheered.

Until, they heard a gunshot. Richard stood on he quarter deck, pistol in the air. "You," he said, pointing at her. "Up here. Now."

She didn't know who he was talking to. He didn't know she was blind. Raven felt him stride angrily across the deck of the ship. He stopped right in front of her. "Weren't you listening?"

"Yes," she replied in the same tone he gave her.

"Then why didn't you obey? Did you not see me point to you?"

"No."

"You were looking right at me! Are you-"

"Blind? Yes."

There was silence. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. Welcome aboard _The Rogue_," he said, taking her hand and brushing her knuckles to his lips chastely.

Raven pulled away. "Thanks," she said, not exactly respectful.

"No, thank you. I believe it _was _you who saved me, wasn't it?" She nodded. "You also saved my ship's boy. His life is now yours." She grinned wickedly down in Garret's direction. "From all the way back here, I saw you jump down from the roof of that building. That was amazing"

She nodded, grinning.

"I have no idea what you can do on a ship like this," he said nervously.

"I'm damn good in the rigging." The crew laughed. She turned and climbed faster than they thought possible to the top and unfurled all the sails in record time.

"I belive you'll do well as Captain of the Top," Richard said as her boots hit the deck when she jumped down. Captain of the Top was the person who was in charge of all the crew in the rigging.

She heard a loud growl from behind her. She stomped the deck and could sense the vibrations running up a huge man's body. She could only see his size, no distinct features. An outline, if you will. She felt him glaring down at her. "If you want to hit me, do it," she said calmly. He looked shocked, but brought his fist back, ready to punch her. The crew gasped. Anyone stupid enough to give Tiny Tim The chance to hit them was crazy.

"Oh shit," she heard Garret squeak.

He swung.

There was no high-pitched cry from Raven, but a deep, low yell from Tim. In the blink of an eye, Raven had grabbed the massive fist coming at her head and twisted it. There was a sickening crack as his wrist snapped. Tim's knees hit the deck with a thud. He looked up at her with respect and pain in his eyes. "I yield," he said through clenched teeth. She grabbed his arm and hauled him to his feet.

"There," she grinned. "I'm better than you and you'll just have to get used to it." She turned to the rest of the crew. "Let this man be a lesson to all of you. _Don't fuck with me._" The men seemed to take a step back at the force of her words.

A large hand on her shoulder made her turn. Richard looked down at her, she could feel the approving look in his eyes. "They get the point. I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it."

Richard laughed. Raven felt her stomach flip-flop. "We'll get on just fine, Raven." She gave him an open mouthed look. He laughed again. "What kind of a captain would I be if I didn't eavesdrop on my crew's conversations?"

Garret looked up at him with amazement on his face. "What?" he yelped. Richard laughed again and looked at the younger boy. "And I though Victor said it was safe to talk to someone on the damn rope locker," he muttered.

"Well, ladies!" boomed a deep voice. "We can't lollygag about all day!" Raven felt a large man coming out from the galley. He glanced up and saluted Richard. When his eyes came to rest on Raven, they widened. "Captain?"

"Victor, this is Raven. Raven, meet my first mate, Victor Crawford." Victor bowed to her. "She's blind Vic," Rich drawled.

Vic cleared his throat. "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am. Let's get to work, you scum buckets!" Richard shouted. He turned to speak to Raven and found her gone. She was already up in the rigging, giving orders. He smiled to himself. _She's a beauty,_ he thought. _A gift from The Goddess._

Raven shouted at the men, and they listened. She felt eyes on her and nodded elegantly down to Richard. _Why were the RN officers fighting Richard's crew?_ she thought. _What in the hell have I gotten myself into? And what is it about him that makes me feel like a giddy little girl when he's around?_

"Hey, beautiful," said a smooth male voice. He'd interrupted her thoughts. She ignored him, until he tapped her shoulder. "Blind and deaf, boy Dickie's got a soft spot for you. What's a beauty like you doing on a p-ship like this?"

Raven, instead of answering, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against a mast. "You will show Captain Richard Grayson the proper respect. I don't know what kind of captain he is, but he's still a captain and you're still just a lowly able-bodied sailor and his underling. Not to mention _my_ underling. You will address him as sir or captain and me as Miss Roth or ma'am. Am I clear?" Raven felt him nod.

She turned her back on him and felt how the top crew worked. _They're slow, lazy, and have no idea what they're doing,_ she thought. _What kind of captain is this Richard Grayson?_ Raven took a deep breath and shouted to her group of men. "You better get it in gear boys, or I'll have you doing drills until you drop!" They picked up the pace and learned how to rig the sails in all of two seconds. "Much better!"


	3. My Past, Weren't You Listening?

Richard sat in his cabin at a desk covered in maps, his head in his hands. There was a knock on the door and Victor entered. "I've brought your dinner, Cap'n," he said grimly.

"Just put it on the table Vic," he ordered. Victor did as he was told. "Thanks."

"Lately, you aren't getting much sleep have you?" Richard looked at him sharply.

"No. Is it really that obvious?" Victor nodded. "I just can't sleep. I don't know why, but it's going to drive me insane."

Victor thought for a moment. "You like the new crew member don't you?" He saw Richard stiffen. "Ha! I knew it! Oh, this is great! Wait until Garret hears this."

"I don't suppose I can talk you out of it?"

"Nope. My mind's set. I might even have a little chat with Raven about this."

Richard's head snapped up. "You do that and I'll have you keelhauled." The first mate laughed. "I'm serious."

"Well, she's in the galley, now if you want to talk to her. She's more strict than you are with the top boys."

"I'll be dining with te crew tonight," Richard informed Vic.

"Aye, Cap'n." He turned to leave. "Oh, and if I were you, I'd consider casual dress tonight." He closed the door before Richard's boot hit him in The head.

Raven sat down on the bench next to Garret for dinner that night. The rest of the crew talked and laughed loudly. She heard them tell about ships that they'd overtaken and the spoils they'd literally buried on an island. _They're pirates!_ she though. _I'm on a pirate ship!_ She sat there and listened until Garret prodded her.

"Got any good storied?" he asked. "We love new ones. After a while, these ones get old."

She grinned. "Are you sure?" The crew chorused agreement. "Alright. I'll tell you a tale of my life." They groaned sarcastically, but listened anyway. "From the time I could walk, I've been on a ship. My mother died when I was two and my father was killed when I was seven. My brother ran off to fight for the Royal Navy and never cam home. The lady who owned the tavern I recently worked for hired me on and asked no questions about my past. That is where she went wrong.

"After my brother left, I walked down to the docks and sat on the edge of them to watch the ships come in." The men leaned forward. Nobody noticed when Richard came down the stairs. "The year I turned fourteen, I met a man in the city. He was scary looking and picking on a bunch of little kids as he was drunk. I went over and shoved him away. He kind of glared at me. That was when I realized I'd come face to face with the world's most notorious pirate. He had thick black hair and a black beard. On the right side of his face, a scar ran all that way down to his jaw."

"Black Beard!" gasped the crew in unison. Alexander stood. "This is a load of bull. Black Beard would have killed you the moment you interfered with him."

Raven stood abruptly and lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing a scar about six inches long on her left side. "He tried," she snarled. "He stabbed me and left me for dead. Some of the kids went and got their father who carried me back to their house and nursed me back to health." Alexander sat down as she tucked her shirt back in. "When I went down to the dock next time, his ship was there. He recognized me and laughed 'till he cried. He welcomed me on board and that's when it all started."

"Wait a sec." Everyone turned to look at a scrawny old man. "I was a few years younger when all this happened. Rumors spread that a girl had stood up to Black Beard for a few kids. Her name was Rachel Roth." He pulled a faded old wanted poster from his pocket and opened it up. "HA!" he shouted slapping it down. "I knew it!"

The crew gathered around the poster and stared at it wide-eyed. "She's the one," Garret whispered. "She was the only girl to ever sail with Black Beard." On the poster it said;

Wanted:

Reward for one Raven Roth

Sailed with Black Beard for many months. May have changed her appearance.

Reward: $1000.00

Under the writing was a picture of the lilac haired teen holding a pair of cutlasses across her chest, an evil grin on her face. Raven stood to leave and ran into Richard blocking the stairs up. "Captain?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"What was that?" he asked calmly.

"That was a shortened story of my life," she replied blankly. "Weren't you listening?" The crew behind her gasped. Nobody spoke to Captain Richard Grayson that way and went unpunished.

"And she yells at me for calling him Dickie," she heard Alex mutter.

"Yes," he answered. "And I found it highly entertaining. Why didn't you tell anyone that you were part of the Brotherhood?"

"That was supposed to be my little secret, but then I found out that you and you crew are pirates." He raised his eyebrows in a silent question. "Several things gave you away. First, there's the fact that all of them talk like a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates. Second, there's a Union Jack flying on your masts. Only pirates are crazy enough to fly a Union Jack in the middle of rebel territory. Third, your collection of flags in the cargo bay. Not smart to leave the Jolly Roger up on the top."

"How did you know there's a Union Jack on the mast and a Jolly Roger in the cargo bay?" he interrupted.

She raised a hand and silenced him. "Fourth, your ship isn't an SS or a HMS or a USS something-or-other. It's just _The Rogue._" The entire crew stared at her in amazement as she shoved past the captain.

He followed her up on deck and grabbed her arm. She whirled around and almost punched him in the face. He grabbed her fist and put it to her side. "What was that for?" he snapped.

"Reflexes," she said, tugging herself from his grasp. She didn't like the way her organs rearranged themselves when he touched her. "I've got to go find a hammock," Raven muttered as she walked down the steps to the crew quarters. Richard stared after her, amazed at the disrespect she gave him, but still amazed with her all the same.


	4. The Brewings of a Storm

Raven started out of her sleep in the middle of the night. _Time to get up, _she thought. _Damn._ She pulled on her boots and tied her black bandana over her lilac hair and walked silently up to the galley. She grabbed a mug of the thick black coffee that the cook, Samuel always had on brew.

She went to sit down when a voice from the corner made her spill the scalding coffee on her lap. "What are you doing up?" Richard whispered quietly, handing her his spare handkerchief.

Raven refused to look at him. "I always get up before dawn. What about you?"

"I don't seem to be able to sleep anymore." She sighed and sat down next to him. He moved his boots off the bench and slid closer to her. "You're the quietest member of the crew," he said blankly.

"I like quiet," came the reply, as blank as Richard's statement.

"Is that why you like to be left alone?" She was silent. "Ah, there's more to the story, isn't there?"

"I'd rather not talk about it." When Raven thought he was going to pry the information out of her, he was silent, which shocked her momentarily. "What about you? You're awfully quiet, Cap'n."

"Please, call me Richard or Rich. How is it that you notice all these little things when nobody else does?"

"I've learned the hard way to take in everything you can about your surroundings. It helps later when-" she stopped abruptly. "Why the hell am I telling you this?"

"Because you need someone other than Garret to talk to," he smirked. She let a small grin grace her lips. "And I'm a good listener."

Raven sighed and let her head rest on the table. "You're too easy to talk to."

"So I've been told." They were silent. "Would you like to go topside?"

"I guess I could use the fresh air." He grinned.

He stood and offered her his hand. She took it and let him help her to her feet. When he didn't let go, but led her upstairs, she was slightly surprised. They walked up to the quarter deck and stood, hand in hand, leaning on the rail as the moon sunk down toward the ocean.

Richard looked over and noticed how the moon gave her pale skin a luminescent glow. He found that her violet eyes sparkled in The moonlight. "Raven," he said almost silently. She heard him though.

He stepped closer to her so that They were inched from each other. She could feel the heat emanating from his body. Raven tilted her head up toward him. "May I?" she asked. She felt him nod. She hesitantly brought her hands up to his face and barely touched his skin. She ran her hands through his thick hair. Raven could picture him in her mind's eye. He was The most handsome man she'd ever met. He had sharp cheekbones and a stubborn chin. Raven purposely avoided his lips. "What color are you're eyes?"

"Black," he whispered. He leaned forward and gently caressed her lips with his. She felt something stir inside her as he pulled away. "Richard," she whispered. Raven brushed a lock of hair away from his face. She pulled him to her for another kiss.

He pulled away. "Not here," he murmured. "The crew." She nodded and smiled at him. Richard leaned forward and kissed her cheek lightly before heading back to his cabin where he collapsed on his bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

Raven smiled and went back to the galley where the other crew members were drinking coffee and eating biscuits with jam. _Well, they can't be in too terrible of shape,_ she thought. _They have jam and jelly._ She took a biscuit from the cook who was smiling at her and sat down next to a couple of her top boys. They suppressed grins as they drank coffee. She felt that other men were either trying to hide their grins or eating to cover them up. Some, like Garret and Vic, grinned outright. Every time they glanced at her, the grins got bigger. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"What the fuck is going on?" she snapped. The men burst into laughter, some snorting coffee out of their noses and biscuits out of their mouths. Raven stood and shoved he bench back. "Someone better tell me what's going on you you'll all be sorry!"

"What color are your eyes?" Alexander laughed. Raven turned bright red and punched him. The others shut up.

"What I do is my business," she said quietly. "What Richard does is his business. You bloody bastards better stay out of it." With that she went up to the crow's nest.

"She's got to come down sometime," Victor said as the crew lit lamps that night. Nothing exciting had happened that day and Raven was still in the nest. "She'll get hungry or thirsty and have to come down."

"No she won't," Garret said. "Raven's not like other people. There's something different about her. Even Dickie, who vowed never to fall in love, fell in love with her. Speakin' of him, where is he?"

"He's sleeping in his cabin. Leave him be. The poor lad hadn't slept a wink until Raven got here. I think you're right. There's something special about her."

"It was her wasn't it?" Garret asked. "It was her who made him sleep." Vic nodded. "I'll be damned

They went into the galley for dinner and Richard woke up. He sat up with a stretch and grinned. He ran his fingers through his hair and went outside. Walking into the galley, he found his crew silent. "Where's Raven?"

They flinched. "She's where she's been all day," Victor said downing a tankard of rum. "In the nest." Richard looked suspicious for a second. "Some of the crew-ah-witnessed your little romantic moment and were just-"

"Having fun at someone else's expense," he interrupted. "Bloody pirates." He walked out with a shake of his head.

"What does that make him?" Garret asked standing next to Vic. Vic slapped the back of his head. "Ow! What the fuck?"

Richard climbed the rigging to find the young girl sitting with her legs crossed on top of each other, hands resting gently on her knees and back perfectly straight. He just looked at her for a minute. "You're staring," she said so quietly that he had to lean forward to hear it.

He turned bright red and was thankful for the fact that she was blind. "May I join you in your uh-um-"

"Meditation?" she filled in for him. "Yes." He sat next to her, in exactly the same position. "Richard?"

"Hm?"

"Can I see you?" He was at a loss for words. "Give me your hand." He obeyed. "Now relax. Just let yourself go." The captain could feel himself slipping away. Then he felt like he was falling. His feet were on solid ground and he looked around. There was absolutely nothing around him It was black. Then Raven appeared out of nowhere.

She gasped and looked at him, wide-eyed. "Wow," she whispered. "It worked."

"What?"

"You're in my mind in it's meditative state." She strode forward and looked up at him. He had so black she never thought it was possible. His eyes sparkled like they had stars in them. She reached out and to touch him and her slim hand went right though him. Like he was a ghost. "I knew it," she sighed, letting it fall to her side. "It's too good to be true. I'm gonna let you go. Ready?"

He nodded and blinked. He was back in his own body. Richard looked over at Raven and found that a single tear escaped her eye. "Hey," he scolded softly, gently wiping it away. "What's this?"

"Nothing," she said, furiously wiping her face on her sleeve. "Weakness." She stood and grabbed a loose rope and slid to the deck, leaving a curious Rich up in the crow's nest.

Victor greeted her as her boots hit The deck. "Welcome back to the crew miss." She ignored him and went to get a glass of rum. She downed it and went back out.

"Hey Raven!" Raven turned to Garret's voice and was met with a hug. She peeled him off her.

"What?"

"Were going to The Island." She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "The Island is where we buried everything."

"Ah. More power to ya'." She decided they need to have some fun. Raven went below deck and pulled out her bag with a wicked grin and a dangerous gleam in her violet eyes.

Richard was climbing down from the rigging when he heard music. It was fiddle music. He noticed that none on the crew was at their posts. The black-eyed captain slid to the deck with a clunk. He looked around for the cause of the distraction and found the crew in a circle around someone. They sat on the deck, on crates, on upturned barrels. Some stood. But all were smiling.

"What-" he began. They all turned and glared at him. In the middle of them sat Raven on a box, fiddle under her chin, she was playing a soft slow song. "Oh." Richard leaned against the rail and watched from a distance. She finished the song with a long, sorrowful note. The men clapped. Garret was bawling his eyes out.

"Well, on that note," she grinned. "I'll let you lads get back to work." They groaned and begged her to play more. "Alright! Alright! Shut up and I'll give you another song." She placed the deep cherry wood fiddle under her chin and started another. This one was lively and quick.

The top boys clapped along with her. Some of the Irishmen dig a jig next to her. She handed the fiddle to one of them and he played well. Not nearly as good as Raven, but good enough for Raven to be able to join the Irishmen and dance along with them. She laughed and linked arms with the brawny redheaded boys.

Richard even laughed as they swung her around. She was light as a feather. He stepped forward and took her hand. She froze long enough to recognize the hand as Rich's and pulled him into another complicated jig. She laughed as he spun her around. Her laughter was a pure sound. A magical sound. Like something you'd expect to hear from the Goddess herself.

When the man stopped playing, Raven was out of breath and laughing so hard her ribs hurt. "There," she gasped. "Now you rotten pirates can get back to work."

They chuckled as they went back to their posts. Richard glanced up at the sky. It was quickly turning black. As black as his hair. Raven sat up and took a deep breath. "There's a storm coming in," she whispered. Richard gave her a look. "Take in all sail and batten down the hatches!" she yelled to the crew.

They froze and looked down at the blind woman giving them orders. Richard smirked. "Do as she says!" Raven elbowed him in the ribcage. "Oof!" they quickly tired down everything that could have been blown away by the storm and lashed the sails to the masts. Raven went up to the quarterdeck and took the wheel. She spun turned them around so they were sailing into the storm.


	5. The Island

"What the hell are you doing?" Richard demanded. There was a boom of thunder and a down-pour of rain.

"You'll see!" She had a furious gleam in her violet eyes. Richard ran forward as a huge wave crashed over the deck of the ship. Raven stuck a hand out and grabbed his arm as he was pushed past her. "Hold on Laddybuck!" He wrapped his arms around her as the rest of the crew tied down lifelines. "We're in for a wild one."

"I'll take over!" he yelled. "Go down below with Garret and Victor!" She turned on him.

"Do _not_ tell me what to do!" He was silent. "Have you ever seen the damage a storm like this can do to your soul?" He left to go find the helmsmen.

"Victor!" he shouted as rain whipped his handsome face. The large man turned from tying down one of the upped deck cannons. "Watch Raven! She's crazy!" He nodded.

She fought The wheel as it tired to turn around. the ship was hurled this way and that by the massive waves that slammed against it's hull. Raven would not be moved. She yelled as the wheel slipped her grip once. She was thrown to the deck. Strong hands picked her up and set her back at the wheel. She nodded to Victor.

"When is this storm gonna break?" Garret asked. His skin was the color of seaweed from being sick. "It can't go on for much longer."

"Goddess, I hope not," Richard breathed. Raven had been up there for two days, fighting the storm, she wouldn't let anyone take over for her and wouldn't come down to eat or sleep. She was exhausted but fought like when she first started. "I've got to do something before-"

The door to Richard's cabin burst open and Victor entered, carrying an unconscious Raven. She had a large cut on the top of her head, the rain had diluted the blood so that it stained her hair. Richard lunged to his feet and took her from him. "What the hell-" he began.

"One of the cannons broke loose," interrupted Vic. "She didn't feel it coming and it knocked her away form the wheel." Richard pulled her heavy wet coat away from her slim figure and set her on his bed. Garret left and came back with some clean bandages and a tankard of fresh water. Victor went to take over at the helm.

Richard swore under his breath as he took the cloth from Garret and cleaned the cut on Raven's head. It was long and shallow. "I don't like her color," he muttered. "Bring me a glass of rum." Garret ran to obey. He came back and Richard lifted Raven's head and tipped some of the liquid down her throat, forcing her to swallow.

Hours later, the storm had settled down to a steady rain with no wind. they dropped sea anchors and sat there while Richard nursed Raven back to her natural color. Soon the rain stopped and they had a strong westerly wind blowing. Victor gave the command for them to head to The Island.

Raven woke to the sound of waves softly lapping the hull. Her head felt like someone had taken an ax to it. She sat up slowly and had to sit still because she was so dizzy. She slowly stood and felt her head. There was a thick bandage over it. _What the-_ she thought. _Oh, the cannon._ She walked out on deck.

"Welcome back to the realm of the living, Miss Raven." She recognized the Irish accented voice as the one that belonged to Patrick O'Banion.

"Where are we Patrick?" she asked him. He was sixteen and extremely smart for a boy his age.

He walked down and stood beside her. "We're anchored just off shore of The Island," The teen informed her. "Would you like me to fetch Captain Grayson?"

"No thank you. Would you lead me to him though?" She could sense his nod. Raven climbed down the ladder on the starboard side after him.

"Water," he warned as he jumped the last couple rungs and landed in waist-deep water. Raven let go and did the same. He steadied her as they waded ashore.

"Isn't it kind of shallow to anchor a ship?" she questioned.

"Nope, we're done that so many times, there's a spot there just deep enough for us to anchor down." She took his hand as he led her through what felt like thick tropical woods. "Almost there," he grinned. Raven felt the sun hit her skin as they exited the other side. She could feel the vibrations of shovels repeatedly hitting the sand and hear the panting of the men as they dug.

"Raven!" She could hear the joy and relief in Richard's voice as he walked over. She felt an arm go around her waist and he kissed her. "Glad to see you awake." He looked at Patrick. "Thanks, you can go back to your post on _The Rogue_." The young man walked back through the woods to the ship. "Well, here we are. Digging up my buried treasure like a real pirate."

Raven laughed. She gasped and brought a hand up to her head. "Ow." Richard leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

"Come on. There'll be more than one guy ready to see you awake." He led her over to the crew which shouted joyfully at the sight of her.

"How long was I out?"

"Four days," the crew chorused. She laughed. "We're glad to see you up and about, Rae." That was Victor.

"Rae?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.

"You've got a nickname," Richard said. "You're officially part of the crew now."

"You've almost reached the trunk," Raven informed him. Hr opened his mouth to ask how she knew that. "I can feel it." There was a _thump! _Raven smirked and brought a hand up to Richard's face. There was a look of pure amazement on it. "Told ya'."

Victor jumped into the hole and lifted the trunk up. He slammed it down in front of Richard and Richard reached into his shirt and produced a gold key that matched the lock on the trunk. He opened it.

For some of the crew members this was like coming home. For others, it was like Christmas; they had no idea what to expect. When they opened the trunk, the newer members sighed, some swore. It was filled with paper. Just pieces of paper.

Raven could feel Richard grin. "Come now lads," he soothed. "Take a look at those pieces of paper." Raven stepped forward and picked one up. She unfolded it and ran a hand over it, eyes staring blankly into the distance. She could barely feel the ridges of ink on it.

"It's a map," she breathed. "A really old map, but a map none the less." They crew was silent as she sank to her knees and dug through them until she hit the bottom of the trunk. She ran one hand along the outside of it, then the inside. The trunk was shallower than it looked. "Richard how long have you had this?"

"Since I can remember. Why?"

"Help me," she ordered. He knelt next to her and helped her tip the trunk over. The maps spilled out, but she didn't care. She set it upright and put a foot in it. She kicked the floor of it hard. The board on the bottom snapped in half.

A/N: DUN DUN DUN!!!!! What's in the chest? Who knows? Will they ever get off the island alive? Just kidding about the last one and only the author knows what's in the chest! LOL! Here's to all my faithful reviewers! Viel Gluck und immer eine Briste Steise! To those who don't know German, Good luck and always a strong wind! Till next time, dearies!

Anonymous Hellchild


	6. Die A Pirate's Death

She removed it and stuck her hands back in. Raven gasped and pulled them out. In her right hand was an old cloak made of dark navy cloth with a hood. In her left she held a silver cutlass. The handle was wrapped in black leather and studded with sapphires.

The crew could see tears well in her eyes as she slowly reached back in and pulled out another cloak, this one was a deep violet and considerably smaller. She also had a small knife that matched the sword. Raven gathered the things and buried her face in the blue cloak. "Dad," she whispered.

"Back to the ship," Richard ordered quietly. He slid over to Raven's side and rubbed her back soothingly. "What's going on?"

"This was my father's trunk he kept in his cabin on his ship."

"What ship?" Richard asked dryly.

"_The Sea Demon_." Richard froze.

"I have something to confess." Raven looked at him with blind eyes. "I-I-" The words were stuck in his throat. "My father sank _The Sea Demon._"

She gasped and stood abruptly. "What? And I convinced yourself that I'd never met you before. When I saw you in my mind, I knew I'd seen you; back when I could still see. I tried to tell myself you were someone I'd run into on the street. But no."

"Raven-"

She began walking away. "You stood by and watched when you were eight as your father killed Captain Emery Roth. I was the little girl crying behind the redheaded boy."

The realization hit him. Raven had been born a pirate. She was on the ship where Richard got to be part of his first raid. "Oh Raven," he said. His voice sounded pained.

"I begged him and begged him not to kill him. I looked at you and you were smiling." She was at the water's edge when she finally stopped. She turned and set the cloak down. "I'm going to give you the chance to leave before I really lose my temper. You'll know when that happens, trust me. You have ten minutes to get that boat out of the harbor. Leave my stuff in the sand."

Victor saw Richard come running out of the woods as fast as he'd ever seen a human go. "Get the boat out of the harbor!" he shouted. "Throw Raven's things in the sand!"

"Why?" demanded one of her boys.

"Have you ever heard that saying; Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?" The young man nodded. "You're about to see why." He threw Raven's things far enough up the beach to where the water couldn't reach them. "Get us out of here!"

As soon as the ship cleared the sandbar, there was a quake. It sent rippled through the water. Richard looked to where he'd left Raven and saw that she was standing on one of the outcroppings, her hair was down to the ground and fanned out around her. He could see that her eyes glowed white. She pointed to the ship. "GO!" she boomed. It wasn't her voice, but the voice of the Goddess. "IF I EVER SO MUCH AS FEEL A VIBRATION COME FROM YOU AGAIN, I'LL KILL YOU!"

With that, she collapsed on the rocks. "There's a hole in the ship!" Richard heard someone yelp. He looked over the side. There was a hole the size of a cannon ball right at the water line. "That bitch," he muttered. He turned and saw that the crew was all glaring at him. "What?"

"What did you do?" Garret demanded.

"It wasn't what I did," he explained. "I swear. Well, part of it was me, but that's beside the point."

Victor stood in front of him, blocking the crew from getting to him. "You'll not touch him." Richard sighed thankfully. "Until I find out what the hell he did." The captain whimpered as they sailed away from the small island. "She's gonna die on this island."

_Born a pirate's birth,_ thought Richard. _Die a pirate's death._


	7. Rescued By An Old Friend

Raven sat up stiffly and climbed down off the rocks. _I gotta stop losing my temper like that. One of these days, it's gonna kill me._ She unwrapped her head and felt for the scar. There was none. The teen tied her long hair back and set to collecting her things. She put all the maps back in the trunk under the cloaks and blades. Then she dragged the trunk to the beach with new strength. She felt her way to her things and put them in the trunk. _All there is to do now is wait._ She began to make a shelter from the night chills.

The next morning, Raven was up and had a huge fire going. _He'll definitely find me now_, she thought. Nobody could miss the huge blaze, even in broad daylight.

Captain Roy Harper was in the middle of a raid when a quake hit his ship and the enemy ship. Everyone froze, pirates and non-pirates alike. _Uh-oh_, he thought. "Turn back boys!" he ordered. "Take what you can! You've got thirty seconds to get back to my ship or I'm leavin' without you!"

Thirty seconds later, every one of the crew members from _The Avenger_ was back on board and they were heading toward the source of the quake. "What was that, Cap'n?" asked Roy's first mate.

"That was my fiancé," the captain informed his men. "She needs me."

"Your-" the first mate was confused. "Since when are you getting married?"

"Since I was nine, Peter," Roy grinned.

Raven sat on an overhang to east, waiting for a ship to come in. She's been relaxing on the island for fours days, waiting for him to arrive. She found a stream in the forest and fruit growing on a tree not far from where she built her shelter. She now wore her father's cloak around her neck and the cutlass at her side. The knife was tucked into her right boot.

She yawned and stood. Time to go bank the fire again. She walked back to camp and threw several large logs on it. Turning to rinse her hands off in the sea, she sensed something on the horizon. She grabbed one of the large palm leaves she had beside the fire and covered it. After a second, she moved it and sent a puff of smoke up to the heavens. She did this five times.

"She's there alright," Roy grinned as he looked at the island.

Peter looked at him funny. "How can you be sure, Captain?" Roy pointed to the five puffs of smoke. "What if that's just the natives trying to draw us in for food?"

"It's not. It's Raven Roth." He turned to the crew. "Heave to and take in sail! We're going to anchor in that calm little harbor there." The crew looked to see where he was pointing and saw the smoke signals.

Raven ran to the edge of the beach as the wind picked up. Her cloak billowed out behind her and her hair whipped around in the wind. She could smell smoke coming from the come from the ship. "Roy," she breathed. "Thank Goddess."

Roy had put a barrel on the deck and signaled five puffs back to her. When they got closer to the beach his eyes widened. It didn't look like Raven; it looked like Emery Roth. Her father. He straightened his own cloak and climbed down into one of the long boats. As the bottom scraped sand, he saw that he was right the first time.

Raven stood, hands on her hips, waiting for him. When he got out of the boat, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him. "Roy!" she exclaimed. She could tell it was him by the way he smelled. He smelled like peppermint and sea breeze.

"Raven, what are you doing on an island?"

"Not _an_ island, The Island." She spun around, letting her cloak wrap itself around her and revealing the cutlass. "This is where he his father's trunk."

"Who?"

"Richard Grayson." She spat the name out like venom. "He was old Ely Grayson's son."

"And you know this how?" he demanded.

"He told me when I found the cloaks and blades in the bottom of the trunk. I told him to leave before I lost my temper. He listened."

"Hmm, too bad. I'm really in the mood to shoot something. Did you see the quake you sent out this time?" He didn't even notice the sad shake of her head. "It was awesome Rae. Weren't you watching?"

"Roy," she said sadly. "I can't see."

"Is the sun in your eyes?"

"No. I'm blind."

"Come on Raven. Don't scare me like that." He turned to walk away. When she didn't follow, he stopped. Turning back, he saw the tears in her eyes. "Raven?"

"I'm not kidding Roy. I'm blind." He pulled her to him in a hug.

"How?" he breathed. "How is it that you, Raven Roth, daughter of Emery Roth, who loved life so dearly like her father, can be blind? Yet the Goddess lets wanna-be pirates like Richard Grayson run around unscathed."

"I don't know. Get me off this island and out on the sea and maybe I'll tell you." He moved to take her arm. "I can do it."

"What? How?"

"I can sense things with vibrations and sound. I'm not completely helpless Roy Harper." She ran over and jumped in the long boat. "Come on. Something about this island scares me." They sailed back out to the ship and climbed aboard. "What flag are you flying?"

"The Union Jack. Why?"

"When I'm on board, you fly the Jolly Roger and the Jolly Roger only. Got it?" He nodded and gave the order to switch the flags. "Now, where are we headed?"

"Um…" he grimaced. Roy hadn't really thought about that.

"How about, oh say-Tortuga?" He gave her a look. "What? It's the only place you can get in a fight, laid, and drunk all at the same time." Roy laughed and put an arm around her slim waist. "Come on, you rotten pirate. We've got some plundering to do."


	8. A History Told

Raven sat with Roy in the crow's nest of _The Avenger_. He was just looking out over the sea and Raven was sitting with him, just for his company. "Rae?" she heard him call quietly.

"Yeah?"

"How did you end up blind?" He saw the color drain from her face. "If you'd rather not talk about it, that's alright, but-"

"No, no," she interrupted. "It's time I told someone." She took a breath and let it out slowly. "It was when I was sailing with Black Beard. He was an awful captain. His ship had a real problem with disease. I was working in the cargo hold, going through chests and taking inventory on the stuff we had.

"I opened one of the chests and a puff of something come out of it. I started coughing and gagging. I couldn't breath for a minute. One of the other crew members I was working with saw and came over to help me.

"We were fine for a few days. Then he started to show signs of sickness. I prayed that I didn't get what he had. It didn't help. It was awful. I had trouble breathing and then I started coughing. When my fever began to rise, I knew I was in trouble. The other guy died three days after he started showing illness.

"It was the second day of the sickness and now three more of the crew had gotten it. I just wanted to crawl into a corner and die. I didn't want to live in pain, even if it was only for a few days."

Roy looked at her. The color was still gone from her face and her violet eyes were blank. _How does she keep all that emotion in_? he wondered.

"When the fever rose to a breaking point, I passed out. I don't remember how long I was out, but it was a long time. I began to drift in and out of consciousness all the time and I remember having nightmares. They were horrible. I had dreams of watching my father die over and over and over again. Then there were the ones of you being hung and when I looked at the hangman, I saw that it was me."

She felt him shudder next to him. "Roy, you know I would never do that, right? You've been by my side for my whole life."

"I know," he whispered. He took her hand. "I know."

"Well, I guess the fever got really bad and I was delirious. Black Beard wanted to throw me overboard and hoped the sickness would go with me, but the surgeon wouldn't have it. He said that as long as I was alive, he was going to keep trying to cure me and he tried everything. He gave me every type of medicine on that cursed ship and nothing worked. He tried bleeding me, he tried to get enough sea water in my system to make me throw up, he tried to sweat the fever out.

"Nothing worked. One day, he said he came back in and I was still, breathing calmly. He said that my body temp was back to normal and I was regaining my color. He had no idea what was wrong with me.

"I guess the day after that, I woke up. I called for the surgeon. He came down into the sick bay and I couldn't see him. I knew where he was because I could hear him, but I couldn't see anything. He even brought me over to the window and the sun had no effect on my eyes what so ever.

"That was when he said, 'Raven, you're blind.'" She was silent for a minute. "I thought that that was worse than living in the pain. I asked him for a knife. He gave it to me and I tried to kill myself." She pulled her sleeve up to reveal a scar that ran all the way across her wrist. "I didn't want to live in the dark. But that which doesn't kill us makes us stronger. The surgeon saved me again and I learned to hone my other senses to paint myself a picture of the world.

"It's not as good as seeing the real thing. I can do this thing where I'm in a meditative state, but it just makes me want to be able to see even more."

"Do it."

"What?" she asked.

"Do it. I want you to see me. I want you to see you as I see you."

"Are you sure, I mean-" She bit her lip. "Alright, I'll do it. Close your eyes and let yourself go." He obeyed and she saw him. He was tall with broad shoulders and fiery red-orange hair. The mischievous glint was still in his eyes. She sighed and smiled.

"Well?" he asked.

"You're still Roy."

"What about you?"

"No, I don't want to know. I'm happy not knowing what I look like. It means I don't have to worry about my appearance." She went back to her normal world. She felt Roy cup her cheek in his hand and kiss her softly. Raven almost gasped when she felt all the little lightnings shoot through her body. "Thank you," she breathed.

Well, well, well. Fluff, whaddaya know? LOL! Anyway, Hellchild here, just wanted to get this updated. I've been so busy with my guy and school. Viel gluck und immer eine Steife Briese!


	9. Tortuga

Raven sighed as they neared the port of Tortuga. She could already hear the gunshots, the screams, the music, and the laughter. It was a pirate's only safe port. They docked quickly and Raven felt the boots pounding across the deck to go have fun for a couple days.

She felt an arm go around her waist. "It's just you and me for three days," Roy murmured in her ear. She leaned back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Does that give you ideas?" she asked, smirking. She felt him shudder in delight. "Come on Roy, you know better."

He sighed. "Alright." Raven felt him walk off down the gangplank. She cursed herself in seven different languages. _Why do I have to go and ruin everything_? She thought. _He's like, the perfect guy and you had to go tell him off._ With a shake of her head, she went to leave the ship.

Someone behind her cleared their throat. She whipped around and stomped the deck. Raven could tell it was Peter by the way the sound vibrated off him. "Miss Roth, would you like to accompany me to dinner?"

She thought for a second. "Sure, but I have no idea where you're gonna find a quiet place in Tortuga." She offered him her hand. He took it and led her down the gangplank.

"I've got a few ideas." Raven was led down one rowdy street after another. _Right, left, left, left, right again,_ she thought, memorizing the way. Finally he stopped. "We're here." She noticed finally that some of the noise had died away.

Raven allowed herself to be led to a quiet table and sat down. She could smell bread baking in the kitchen and she could hear a couple other people eating dinner. "Where are we?" she asked quietly.

"We're in the only respectable inn in all of Tortuga," came the reply. "It belongs to a friend of Roy's. He's really nice and a great cook." Someone walked up behind her.

"What can I get ye?" he asked. He spoke the broad tongue of the pirates.

"Two specials, please Matthias," Peter grinned.

Raven's face was blank as she listened to the other conversations. "…and I heard that Bloody Roy Harper was back in town. Apparently, he's got himself a new crew member and she's a blue-blooded doxie." This conversation took place a few tables to their right.

"Really? Someone said he's got a bloody fortune on that ship. What's it called? _The Revenge_?"

"No, you stupid git, it's called _The Avenger._ I guess he's got well over a thousand pounds of gold there. Let's get some of the boys together tonight and raid it. It's the perfect chance for me to get back at the son of a bitch. Wadda ya say?"

"Sounds good to me." They stood, tossed a couple copper pieces on the table and left.

"Did you hear that?" Raven asked Peter.

"Hear what?" he turned back to her from his conversation with Matthias.

"Nevermind. I'm sorry, but I have to get going, Peter. There's something I forgot to take care of and it can't wait." She left, leaving behind a very confused Peter. She ran back to the ship and down into the crew's quarters. Raven pulled out her father's cloak and weapons. She readied her gear and went back out on deck. She walked back through the city. There were several barroom brawls which she gave a wide birth. She was looking for Roy.

"Raven!" someone behind her shouted. She froze and spun around. The lilac haired young woman knew that voice.

"Garret?" She had the wind knocked out of her as he barreled into her. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Richard's trting to stop some big raid tonight," came the reply. "We were told that we can't come because it was too risky."

"Good to know. I don't want to hurt you."

"What?"

"Nothing. It's not healthy to party with him tonight. Keep away from the docks." She continued walking, praying to the Goddess that he obeyed her. She was just about to head back down to the ship when a yell caught her attention. She turned toward the sound and heard someone getting the life beat out of them by someone bigger.

"That'll teach you to mess with Gold Tooth from now on." That was the voice of the man back at the inn. She ran down the alley and came to a stop in front of the beating. Silence fell when the men saw Raven standing there, cloak billowing about her. "Is this the doxie?" he whispered to his friend.

"Not many with purple hair running around." They let whoever they were beating fall to the ground and advanced on her.

"Leave-" Roy croaked. "Leave her alone."

"Shut up." The one called Gold Tooth kicked him in the side, sending a spurt of blood from his mouth. "Come here gixie. We don't bite." Raven stepped away from them. She drew her blade and moved to a fighting crouch.

"Don't hurt her," Roy groaned as he tried to pull himself to his feet. "She's blind."

"Oh, that changes things," said Gold Tooth's friend. He reached a hand out and brushed his fingers against her face. Raven turned her head and bit him. Hard. She couldn't tell if it was his blood in her mouth or Roy's. The man howled and stepped back. She guessed it was his blood.

Gold Tooth reached down and grabbed his own boot knife while Raven drew her cutlass. He lunged at her. Raven side-stepped it and came back at him, cutting open his shirt but not touching his skin. "Ha! Missed!" the large man laughed. The laugh turned into a gurgle. He looked down and saw Raven's blade sticking out of his stomach. "But, you're blind," he said before falling to the ground.

Raven dislodged the blade from his limp body and whirled on the other man. He fled, a look of horror that only Roy could see on his face. The violet-eyed beauty wiped her blade off on Gold Tooth's shirt. She put it away and knelt next to Roy. "You okay?" she whispered.

He reached up and brushed a lock of hair back from her face. "Now I am. Help me up." Raven pulled him to his feet and slung his arm around her shoulders. They made their way back down to the docks.

Raven smelled the fire before she heard it.

"Oh my Goddess," Roy breathed. _The Avenger _was on fire. He went to run, but found that it hurt. "Raven, the ship!" She stopped moving. "What are you doing? My ship is on fire and you're just standing here!"

Raven turned to face him. He gulped. Her eyes were glowing white. "Do not patronize me," she hissed. She grabbed his hand. "Hold on." Her feet lifted off the ground. He quickly felt his own feet leave the ground. "Don't move unless you want your ship to burn."

He held fast to her hand as they rose and flew over the city. "Raven," he breathed. She glared back at him. "Nevermind." she flew until they were directly over the flaming ship. The heat was unbearable. Raven moved her hand out in front of her. There was a loud hiss and they were surrounded by a thick black smoke. The two of them slowly sank to the steaming deck of _The Avenger_. Raven sighed and collapsed to her knees. Roy winced as she let go of him.

"There," she whispered. "Your precious ship is fine." She fell back, unconscious.

"Raven!" Roy looked around and saw that nobody was coming to her aid. He couldn't do anything to help her in his condition. "Oh, Goddess," Roy muttered.

"Roy!" His eyes snapped up to focus on a teen running toward him. "Where's-" He saw Raven. "Raven! He turned around and yelled. "I found her boys!"

The rest of the crew from _The Rogue_ came running down the hill. Victor was the first one to reach the unconscious young woman in front of Roy. "Oh, Rae," he said picking her up.

"Who the hell are you?" Roy demanded.

"We're friends of Raven's," said Vic. Roy nodded. "Let's get her out of the smoke." He carried her into Roy's cabin. Setting her on the bed, the big man straightened. "She'll be okay," he told the worried Garret. "Let's get outta here before she wakes up."

The boys left the cabin to find Roy standing outside, waiting for them. "How did you know what was happening?" demanded the captain.

"That would be my doing." All the men looked at the black haired Richard as he walked up the gangplank. "Permission to come aboard?"

"No," said the other three all at once. "Who are you?"

"That's Richard Grayson," Victor hissed. "His father-"

"Sank Raven's father's ship then killed him," Roy finished. "The likes of you are not welcome aboard _The Avenger_. Be gone." Richard shrugged and walked down the gangplank. Roy looked at the other two. "How do you know Dick?"

"We were part of his crew. But after he just left Raven on that island, we decided to-uh-disappear at the next port. Go figure it would be Tortuga."

"Okay," he drew the word out as it registered in his mind. "Well, are you two in need of a job?" They both nodded. "Welcome aboard. You start watch now." He walked back into his cabin where Raven was just waking up. She sighed and stretched. Roy smiled and sat down next to her.

"How's the ship?" she asked quietly in a monotonous voice.

He smiled. "It's not on fire anymore." Raven nodded. "Are you okay?" Again, a nod. "Listen, Raven I-" He was interrupted as she leaned forward and kissed him. He was too shocked to do anything but let it happen. When she pulled away, Raven was a darker shade of pink. "Well, that saves me the trouble having to explain this."

Roy cupped her face in his hands and eased his lips over hers. Raven trembled at his touch. He sent little lightning bolts through her body. He brushed his tongue against her lips, asking entrance. Raven opened her mouth, inviting him in, but instead, he pulled away and sighed. _He's too polite_, she thought. _I will teach him to be less polite._ "Roy," she breathed. He grinned cockily.

"Captain!" shouted Peter. "Some people are coming down the dock and they don't look to happy."

Roy growled. "Come on." He took Raven's hand and they ran topside.

"Raven!" someone shouted. It was Richard. "It's them. The ones here for Roy!"

"Not Roy." Richard whipped around and came face to face with a very big man. "We're here for Raven."


	10. A New Family

"What do you want Raven for?" demanded Roy. He pulled Raven close to him and put a possessive arm around her waist. She braced herself against his chest and closed her eyes.

"She's one of us," came the reply. "She's different. She belongs among her own kind."

"What the fuck?" someone shouted behind Raven and Roy. Raven could tell it was Peter. Roy turned and looked. The younger man was pinned to the deck by a tall, lean young woman with vibrant orange hair and lime green eyes.

"Don't move lad, or I'll gut you right here," she said with an Irish accent. To the big man she explained, "He was going to sneak around and take you by surprise."

"Good work Kori," the big man grinned. "Give us Raven and we leave in peace. For now."

"Just-who the hell are you?" Roy demanded.

"We come from a long line of ancestors. We are called the Reapers. All of man kind fears us."

"Roy, let me go," she whispered. He held her closer. "Don't do this Roy. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I'll be fine."

"What exactly do you guys do to make everyone fear you?" Peter demanded from the deck. Kori shifted her foot from his chest to his throat, cutting off his air supply.

"Let him go," Raven commanded. She pushed herself away from Roy and stepped toward the big man. "What do you want me for?"

"You are the last in your line, the Dark Ones. We need you to kill the last of the Blood Brothers."

"Oh dear." Raven suddenly remembered her father telling her stories when she was little. Stories about how the Dark Ones would one day fulfill a prophecy and kill the rest of the Blood Brothers. He also said something about it being a girl. "You mean, all those stories, the ones about the Blood Brothers, were true?"

"I do." He was dead serious. He needed her help in ridding the world of the scourge of the Blood Brothers.

She turned to Roy. She couldn't see that he had paled significantly. "Roy?"

"Y-yes?" he stuttered.

The Reapers laughed. Raven heard about four of them. "Now you know why I said that we'd leave peacefully for now," the big man laughed.

"Are you by any chance, Geoffrey the Invincible?" he gulped. The big man nodded. "Then that makes her," he pointed to the red-head who'd let Peter breathe again, "Kori the Brave. He's Kale the Fearless. She's Melinda the Falconer."

"Don't forget our own little rat, Garret the Quick." Raven felt her blood run cold as Garret walked over to stand with the others. "Garret has been keeping tabs on you for a long time now." Geoffrey stepped onto the deck of _The Avenger_ and walked over to Raven. "Come, Raven the Magical. We must go. Your Blood Brother has until midnight tonight to get a head start, then the game begins."

"My Blood Brother."

Kori shrieked with laughter. "You mean he hasn't told you?"

"Don't!" Roy warned. "Raven, go. Go now."

"What-" She stopped. "Oh Goddess. Roy no." She felt something inside her stir. She felt Geoff's hand on her shoulder. "I can't," she breathed.

"Go!" Roy shouted. Thunder cracked over head. Nobody had noticed the storm that had rolled in quickly. The wind whipped around them. Melinda the Falconer shuddered. She was a small woman, built like Raven; slender, petite, and strong. He skin was dark and she had black hair and deep brown eyes.

"Come on Raven, the more time you waste here, the less time he has to get away." Raven turned on Garret. She spun around and kicked him in the chin, sending him flying back across the dock. Kale the Brave, a tall muscular man with bleach blonde hair, tanned skin, and crystal blue eyes, placed a foot on his stomach. He stopped the younger man from falling off the opposite side of the dock.

"I'd advise you not to talk to Raven anymore Garret," Geoff grinned. Raven stood there, thinking. "What's it gonna be Rae?"

"Don't call me Rae," she snarled. She closed her eyes. "Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I've got to go." She stomped off the ship, followed by a savagely grinning Geoff and a smirking Kori. The group of five left, Raven leading them.

"This is bad," Peter muttered. "This is very bad."

"Yes, Peter," Roy said through clenched teeth. "I know."

* * *

TADA!!!! A new chapter after all this time. My computer caught a cold and everythign got erased so I had to go through and take everything off my flash drive again and re-make over half the stinkin' story. Oh well! It's here. As always, Viel Gluck und immer eine Steife Briese!!! 


	11. A Stowaway

**THREE YEARS LATER**

Raven sat on the floor of the Reapers' room, sharpening her sword. She froze when she felt the vibrations of someone coming in. When she recognized them as Kale's she continued working. "Hey Raven," he said quietly and sat down across from her. "Want some help?"

"You really are fearless," she muttered. "The only other person with balls enough to ask me if I want help is…" her voice trailed off.

"Roy," he filled in. She nodded, but handed the cutlass over to him. "I can put an edge on this blade that'll never wear down."

"You do that," she breathed. "I'm going to get some fresh air." She stood and walked out the door. It had been three whole years since she'd seen anyone from either of the crews. She was glad for it though. She didn't think she had the courage to do what the Reapers had been training her for.

Raven had grown accustomed to living with the others. Kale was right; after a while, they turned into a family. Thanks to Geoff, she was stronger than she'd ever been. Kale had taught her to be almost fearless. Melinda taught her to work with the falcons she owned. Raven ignored Kori and Garret. She still couldn't believe that it was him who'd betrayed her.

Staying with the Reapers had made her twist and sculpt her senses to where almost nothing got past the now midnight ebony haired beauty. She walked out onto the overhang porch that had a great view of Tortuga. Raven took a deep breath.

She heard someone moving around in the brush beneath her. She focused on the person. Then she heard a "Psst!"

She froze. "Who's there?" she demanded.

"Raven, I sure as hell hope that's you and not Kori." Raven felt her heart stop. She lept off the edge of the balcony and landed in the bushes next to Peter.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Roy sent me."

"I should kill you now," she muttered. "Where is he?"

"He's staying with Matthias. Don't worry, he's safe." She heard her door open above them.

"Raven?" Kale called. "Where are you? I've finished with your blade."

"Go!" she hissed to Peter. "Tell Roy to meet me in the common room. In the back corner by the fireplace at midnight. Don't let anyone see you." Peter disappeared around the corner of the building just as Kale walked out onto the porch.

"What are you doing down there?"

"Found it!" she exclaimed, picking up her earring that she'd taken out hastily. "I dropped it. Are you finished?"

"Yeah. So, you wanna go get some dinner?" She nodded and floated back up next to him. The Reapers had taught her to control her power so she could use it in small amounts and not pass out. She grabbed her father's cloak and they left.

Raven pulled the cloak closer around her face. If she was lucky, nobody would have seen her leaving the inn. She hurried to Matthias's place and ducked inside. She stood to the side of the door for a minute to get the feel of the room. Raven sharpened her senses and listened to the conversations.

"…yeah, I hear good ole Roy's back in town."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's got a good product to sell too. All the way from…"

"Peter are you sure she said tonight?" She grinned. Raven knew Roy's voice anywhere.

"She said she'd be here," Peter told his captain.

"And I didn't lie." She heard the scrape of his chair as he stood.

"Oh my Goddess," Roy breathed. He didn't believe it was her. She'd grown her lilac hair out and died it black, save for the one streak framing the right side of her face. She'd gained muscle and her face itself was different. She wasn't as serious as she used be and her eyes had faded to almost white, now visibly showing that she was blind. "What the hell happened to you?"

"The Reapers happened," she smirked. She pulled out a chair and sat down in it, propping her boots up on the table. "Welcome back to Tortuga. You're lucky I don't kill you know and just get it over with."

Roy was silent. He stared down at her in disbelief. "This isn't how you left us," he whispered.

"It's because I had to leave," she muttered and closed her eyes. "What do you want Roy? If Geoff knew you were here, he'd kill you. If he knew I was here with you, he'd kill me."

"I just wanted a look at you. Maybe that was a mistake." Raven's eyes snapped open and her face softened. "Maybe I was wrong to come back." He turned to go. Her hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around and met Raven's kiss full force. Her kiss, like everything else about her, was different. It was no longer gentle and caressing. It was needy and begging. _I shouldn't have let her go_, he thought. _She needed me and I let her down._ After a minute, she broke away. "Maybe not," he breathed.

She grinned as the door opened. "Raven?" The grinned disappeared. She froze and her eyes widened in horror as she recognized the voice as Kori's. "What the-" She saw Roy and his hand on the small of Raven's back. "Oh no. I'm telling Geoff."

There was only one thing for Raven to do. She whipped around and a silver blur flew from her hand and hit Kori in the throat. When she froze, the men saw it was a dagger. Kori dropped like a stone. "Get me out of here," she hissed.

"What's all this?" Matthias asked from behind the bar.

"Nothing," Peter explained with a very good cover-up grin. "We'll be leaving now. Put the rum on my tab. And if anybody comes looking for her," he pointed to Raven, "she was never here. Got it?" The entire room nodded. "Bye then."

Raven was whisked out the door. "Run!" she yelled as a dagger hit the dirt next to them.

"Get back here you traitor!" thundered Geoff. "You can't hide from me Raven!" She felt Roy grab her hand as they took off for the dock. As soon as her feet hit the wood, Raven stopped, forcing Roy to let her go.

"Come on Raven," he said patiently, as if talking to a child. "Get on the ship."

"Port of starboard side?" she asked.

"Port. Get on the-oh." He turned and ran for the cover of _The Avenger_ when he saw that her eyes were glowing white. Raven floated up over the deck of the ship. The boat began to prepare to shove off. On it's own. The sails were unfurling. Raven moved her arm toward the south quickly and the winds changed, pushing the ship out to the open sea. As soon as they were far enough out to sea to where Melinda's falcons couldn't find them, she floated to the deck.

Roy was at her side, ready to catch her if she fell over. She just smiled at him. "How did you-" he began.

"Captain!" Raven heard Peter shout. "A stowaway!"


	12. Apologies

**To all my avid readers:**

Many apologies to all of my avid readers and reviewers, I haven't been able to

update because I have mistakenly left my flashdrive at the local library and wish

haven't been able to get it back. I hope to go there and pick it up either tomorrow

or Thursday. Forgive me...

My most humble apologies,

_Anonymous Hellchild_


	13. Rage

"Beat to quarters!" shouted Roy. "Raven, take Kale and go down to the smuggler's hold." She opened her mouth to protest, but Roy kissed her and spun her around. "Go! I don't want you up here for this!"

Raven muttered something along the lines of, "Fuck you," and grabbed Kale by the collar of his shirt and dragged him down to the cargo hold. She led him around the crates and barrels to the back of the hold.

"Raven, where are we going?" he asked. "There's nothing down here but-" he stopped as she pushed aside a crate to reveal a trap door. "-a trap door." She opened it and jumped down.

"Come on!" she ordered. She felt Kale land next to her as the ship rocked from sending out a broadside. "Hey, they were behind us!" she yelped as she was thrown to the side. Kale caught her and they sat down. "Why he sent us down here, I have no clue. If they get enough holes blown at the water line, we're going down and I won't have a clue until we're up to our eyes in water."

"Hey, calm down." Kale clapped a hand over her mouth. The racket topside had subsided as quickly as it began. "It's silent."

"Don't move," she ordered as she crept up the ladder to the cargo hold. Kale saw her feet disappear. There was the soft noise of a quick struggle, then silence, which was unusual for a ship. He followed her up the stairs and immediately regretted it. Geoff was standing there with Melinda holding onto a bound and gagged Raven. She couldn't move her hands to work her magic so she was helpless.

"Hello, Kale," Geoff grinned wolfishly. "Long time, no see." He grabbed the fearless young man and tied him up. Geoff threw both of them to the wood of the quarter deck. "We knew we'd find you on the same ship," Geoff sighed. "You're so predictable Kale."

"Let her go!" snarled Roy. The redheaded captain was tied to the mast with the rest of the crew. "She never did anything to you!"

"Or you," Geoff snapped. "She was supposed to kill you the minute she saw you and she failed in her duties. And Roy, you traitor. Your weren't supposed to know what Raven was supposed to be used for. You weren't supposed to know about the assassination attempt."

"Huh?" mumbled Raven through her gag. She spat it out and looked from Roy to Geoff and back. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Nevermind!" snapped Roy. To Geoff he shouted. "Don't you dare bring that up!"

"What? The truth?" Raven froze. She was in the middle of working herself free from her bonds. "Tell her the truth, Roy. Tell her about your wonderful past!"

"No! I refuse!" The look of rage on Roy's face actually scared Peter.

"Roy?" Raven's voice was so soft that everyone went silent. "Tell me."

"Raven I-" he began.

She could sense the pain in his voice, but she couldn't help it. "Tell me!"

"Raven if you knew-" He stopped, seeing the look on her face. Taking a deep breath, he went on. "I used to be a Reaper. I was Roy the Prodigy. I was the new kid, until I found out about the assassination attempt."

"What?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"The Reapers were going to assassinate the King of Thieves and take over the court. I was supposed to be the assassin. Then I found out before it was time and told the king. Then I ran off and became what I am today, a Blood Brother. The king is also a Blood Brother."

"Why?" she said through clenched teeth. "Why didn't you tell me?" Roy was silent. "Why?!"

"Because I didn't want to hurt you! Because you weren't supposed to become one of _them_! Your father was one of the Blood Brothers, he was bonded directly to the king and told me to never let them get you. You were supposed to become a Blood Brother. The first in the line of Blood Sisters!"

Raven was silent. She didn't know what to think. She closed her eyes. Kale looked at her and saw a single tear slide down her cheek. "Rae," he whispered, sliding over to her. She was shaking. Raven rested her head on his shoulder and cried into his shirt. "You have to choose," he breathed in her ear. "I'm an undercover Blood Brother. Choose now."

"Get back," she whispered. "Hurry." He slid back to his spot and looked at her face. Everyone gasped as her eyes turned red. Her ropes caught fire and went up in smoke. She stood slowly, her hair hiding her face. When she was fully standing, Geoff laughed with triumph.

"She has released her rage!" he shouted. "She won't be able to contain it now! She's one of us!"

Raven's head snapped up. She was glaring at Geoff. "You are sadly mistaken," she said in a voice not her own. She stood a good seven feet tall, her cloak flapping behind her and her hair was fanning out. She pointed at Geoff. "This is all because of you." The sky turned black around them and a bolt of lightning hit Geoff. He cried out in agony and disappeared. Melinda jumped overboard. Kale found his ropes untied and lept to his feet.

They were floating over the now raging sea. "Oh shit!" he shouted. Kale was, for once, afraid. He ran down and untied the crew as the wind began to whip the sails. Raven was floating off the deck of the ship. "Everybody off the ship!" Kale commanded. The crew jumped over the edge. "Roy, get back here! You don't know what you're dealing with!"

Roy was headed toward Raven. "Yes I do," he said to nobody on particular. He was standing directly in front of Raven. The ship was coming apart. The sails were torn from the masts. "Raven!" he shouted. "Stop!" She moved a hand in his direction and he found himself flying through the air. He smashed into one of the masts and it knocked the wind from his lungs.

Kale was at his side. "Come on!"

Roy threw him off and stood on his own, rage and fear in his eyes. Again, he went to Raven. "RAVEN!" he thundered. "STOP!"

Raven looked down at him and her face twisted with rage. "You're a liar, Roy," she said. "You lied to me. I bet you lied to my father too."

"I love you!" he shouted. "I'm pouring my heart into these words. I'm not lying to you now. I lied then to protect you." Her face softened. She was shrinking to normal size as she landed on what was left of the ship. Roy caught her as she stumbled. "I love you. Can't you see that Raven?"

She was silent. Raven looked up at him. "I can see," she whispered.

"Then say it," he breathed. "Say-"

"No, Roy, I can see!" She looked around her. "I can see!" She had a surprised look on her face. "I can see that the ship is falling apart." Roy looked at her, amazed. "Oh Goddess." Raven looked back at Roy. She reached up and touched his cheek. "Roy." She met his kiss, full force. After a breathless minute, he broke away. "I love you."

"Now that that's taken care of, would you mind getting on the ship?" The couple looked across at Kale, who was on the other ship, then around them. _The Avenger_ was sinking.

"Come on," Roy groaned as they floated over, Raven's black magic under them. "I'm not supposed to come with you," he said. "A good captain always goes down with his ship."

Rae looked at him, eyes glowing white. "Then be a bad captain," she grinned and kissed his cheek. Roy smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist as they landed on the deck of the ship. "Peter, come here." Peter stepped forward. Raven smiled when she saw his thick brown locks plastered to his head from the quickly subsiding rain. His green eyes were sparking with excitement. "I need a safe harbor to stay in for a while."

"Go to Ireland, uh…" He stopped when he realized that he didn't know what title to give her.

"Lady Roth," she smiled.

"Lady Roth. There's a safe haven for you at my house."

Raven nodded her thanks and turned to Roy. Her eyes had a troubled look in them. She opened her mouth to say something and passed out.


End file.
